Hooked by a Book
by TangleFox
Summary: With Belle's memory dashed across the rocks, Hook realizes his opportunity for the greatest possible revenge against Rumplestiltskin... capture Belle's heart. *PlsRev*
1. Chapter 1

**(NOTE TO READERS: THIS STORY BEGINS AFTER THE LATEST EPISODE AT THIS POINT, "THE OUTSIDER". ANY EPISODES THAT FOLLOW WILL BE IRRELEVANT TO MY STORY FOR OBVIOUS REASONS. :P)**

**CHAPTER 1 - A VISITOR IN THE NIGHT**

**8:00 PM STORYBROOKE GENERAL HOSPITAL**

Mr. Gold sat by Belle's hospital bed, hands shaking as they rested upon his cane. His forehead pressed lightly upon the trembling wrists as he stared at the floor, tears falling thickly upon the tile. He had been there for three straight days, without meals, without sleep.

They had decided to tell Belle, in the heat of her confusion, that she had suffered a very serious concussion and as a result, memory loss. The poor girl didn't even know her own name. Much less where she came from, or who she held dear. She voiced trust in the doctors, and seemed to accept their insistence that her name was indeed, Belle- but when Gold looked in her eyes he saw only fear and confusion. When she had inquired as to who he was, he had told her through blurry eyes,

"Someone who cares very much, Dearie."

What else could he say?

The bullet, as it turned out, had only grazed her. Like most head wounds, it had bled a lot, but was already healing nicely.

But nothing could heal what had been done to Belle's memory, or to Gold's heart. Hook had destroyed all that she was. The beautiful, strong woman who had believed in him no matter how many times he had disappointed and hurt her.

Gold had driven himself half mad trying to think of something, _anything_, that could restore her to her former self. But something in the back of his mind told him that all the magic in the world could not reverse what had been done. Still, he had to try. He needed to return to his store, to pour over his books until he found something.

There was also another matter of business that he needed to attend to. Hook. The pirate had lain seemingly lifeless upon the road after being struck by a vehicle. At the time, Gold had been far more concerned with Belle, but when his eyes sought out the pirate once more, he had vanished.

Mr. Gold was a man torn in two. To search in vain for a cure, or to make sure Hook never drew another breath first? But how could he do either, with his beautiful Belle lying here helpless? How could he leave her alone when he had become the only constant in her life, sitting by the bed hour after hour, day after day?

That was when the nurse came and touched him gently on the shoulder.

"You look perfectly frightful Mr. Gold. Please, go and rest for a few hours, we will take good care of Belle."

Gold looked up at Belle. She was staring out of her window, hardly listening to the conversation. What must it be like to only have three days worth of memories to look back upon?

He reached out slowly to touch her arm, and she started at the gesture.

"Belle, I'm going to leave you for a short while to... rest. The nurses here will attend to anything you need, and I will be only a phone call away if you should need me."

Belle's beautiful blue eyes looked upon him without the love that once filled them. Even though he could see she was confused, she thanked him in the same kind tones that were always hers. Loss of identity did not alter one's nature, at least.

Night was falling, so Gold felt a little less guilty for leaving her. Belle would be asleep soon, and would hardly miss his presence.

_If she would have missed it at all_... he thought sadly.

He rose from his chair and took her soft hand in his, raising it to his lips and planting a gentle kiss.

"Sleep well, Dearie."

Belle gave him a sad smile of acknowledgement in return. For once, Gold was going to do as she had always wished of him. He had made his decision... to put aside his lust for revenge and instead worry about helping Belle first. Gold's cane clicked and echoed across the floors of the hospital as he made his way out of the building.

**11:00 PM STORYBROOKE GENERAL HOSPITAL**

The chatter of visitors and scuffling of feet had finally died in Storybrooke General. Only the soft hums and beeps of the machines drifted from each room. Belle both loved and loathed these quiet hours of the night. The sounds of people who knew her so well, but who she had no recollection of, were enough to bring her to tears most days. The emotional toll of it all was far too much. She felt so lost in this place.

In retrospect, however, all the quiet without the nurses and visitors meant plenty of time left in her own mind. But what do people without a thing to remember think about? It was terribly lonely. And this was the first night that she didn't at least have the watchful Mr. Gold at her bedside. He had been far too distraught the entire time to really be a comforting presence, but it was something. She did like it when he would tell her about the lives of the visitors who had come to see her. She liked stories. Mary-Margret and David had been in just that morning and they seemed very nice. They had been reunited with their daughter and were shopping for a new home.

Belle got the feeling though, that Gold wasn't telling her their true stories. It was as if he was weaving a completely different tale for each of them. But none of them protested when he introduced them. It was all so... confusing. A tear rolled down Belle's cheek in that moment as she looked out of the window and into the night.

"No tears now, Love." A voice whispered suddenly in her ear, as a gentle hand brushed her cheek.

Belle turned to find a very handsome man standing over her bed and smiling down at her. His eyes were a mesmerizing and magnificent blue.

"Who... who are you?" she asked, her eyes searching his in innocent confusion.

"A question I'm sure you've had to ask more often than you'd like, of late." He replied, wiping her tear away gently with his thumb.

His eyes had a hint of sadness in them now. "Let's just say that... I'm a friend."

Something sparked within Belle. She felt like she had heard the same words before from behind the same eyes. She had no real memory of it, but there was something there. She felt a wave of emotion with this small accomplishment. She reached up to grasp his hand, which still rested on her cheek.

"Please, Sir, please, tell me your name." Belle asked with a certain desperation.

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly and searched her own for several moments, before he responded guardedly,

"My name is Killian. Killian Jones. But some have come up with a most unkind moniker for me..."

Hook then raised his other arm into the dim light of her bedside lamp.

"Hook, they call me."

Belle looked surprised and disappointed all at once. Disappointed that his name brought no further recollections, and surprised at his unusual disability. But even so, he was still the only person thus far who had raised any form of feeling within her.

"Does it repulse you, Love?" Hook asked her softly.

Belle reached out to touch the cold silver that replaced what had once been a warm hand and felt no repulsion, only pity.

"Not at all, Mr. Jones"

Hook's face lit up in a wide smile at the title.

"Mr. Jones, is it? Hook will do, Love. I try not to run from the perspective of others."

Belle crinkled her brow momentarily.

"I'm sure there is much more to Killian Jones than just a bit of cold metal. But if it's your wish, then Hook it is."

Hook looked suddenly uncertain.

"You're uncommonly kind, Miss." he spoke gently.

Belle let out a sad sigh. "I'm not even sure who this 'Miss' you speak of is."

The pirate sprang back into his confident, cocky self.

"Well then, Dearest, perhaps Hook can help you."

Her charming visitor turned to open the satchel he carried at his side. From within it he produced a very old and ornate collection of stories.

"Here you are, Love. If there were only one thing I knew of Belle, it's her love of literature."

For the first time since she had lost her memory, Belle beamed a very genuine smile.

Hook sat upon the bed at her side and leaned over her. "You may have forgotten your own story for now, Love, but here are others to chase away those lonely pockets of the night."

Belle clutched the book gratefully to her chest.

"Th- Thank you Hook. I can't express how much I appreciate this."

Hook sat back up with a winning smile.

"Excellent! Now, if you promise to keep our little visit a secret I may just bring you another tomorrow night."

Belle nodded her head vigorously.

"Our secret." She said with a shy smile.

"Perfect." Hook grinned rakishly, taking her hand and brushing his lips across it.

This action caused Belle to frown suddenly. Mr. Gold had done the same thing before he left for the evening. One of the few new memories she had collected.

Hook stood from her bed. "Have I done something to upset you, Love?"

Belle's lashes fluttered at her rudeness. "No- no. Not at all... I'm sorry, it's just... this is all still a bit much..."

"Of course, my Dear. I will leave you alone now to your reading."

Hook gave a short bow, and before she could thank him again, he was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2 - REVENGE**

When Hook arrived back at his ship, Cora was waiting for him.

"My dear Captain, you look most pleased with yourself. Tell me, whatever have you been up to?"

Hook's eyes narrowed and his mouth set into a stubborn line. "That is my business, Madame, and if you'd be so kind, I'd like to keep it that way."

Cora turned her head back and laughed.

" I see... I didn't know we were in the business of keeping secrets. I've held nothing back from you, have I? From the moment of our arrival you've been privy to every plan, every scheme."

"Yes..." countered, Hook. "But only because I am a pawn in all of your little games."

"My dear, Captain-" Cora placed her hand over her heart as if he had wounded her. "I prefer to think of us as partners."

Hook raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.

"For instance," Cora went on. "Now that my daughter has broken, now that she has lost everything, you know full well of my plan to confront her tomorrow evening."

Cora moved closer to the pirate, pressing a finger into his tender ribs. "Would I have worked so hard to mend someone who was only a pawn in my "little game", Captain? Pawns are so very easy to come by, after all... When I collected you from the side of the road you were broken and bleeding. You wouldn't have made it through the night without me."

Hook winced. Cora's "healing" magic had been an incredibly painful process. Dark magic always hurt the subject of it's casting, even in the rare occasions that it was used to repair rather than destroy. Hook had felt every agonizing bit of it.

But here he stood, a little tender, but good as new; and indeed he had no one other than Cora to thank for it.

"If I tell you- you must promise not to get in my way."

Cora smiled her wicked smile. "Oh, you needn't worry about me, Captain. I have far more important things to meddle with than your little schemes. As long as you're keeping that vile Rumplestiltskin busy and out of my hair, I will leave you to your business."

Hook leaned back against the mast, an unreadable expression flickering across his features.

"I'm going to do The Dark One the worst harm imaginable." he said, looking out over the sea. "I'm going to take his love away from him and claim her for my own."

"And should you win her love, then what?"

"Oh, I don't know, Cora. Perhaps I'll throw her to the crocodiles."

Cora clapped her hands. "Most excellent, Captain. Love is every man's weakness and the method in which he may be harmed the most. We're more alike than I ever thought, you and I."

_No..._ Hook thought to himself. _We're really not. _

Killian Jones was a bully, a thief and an all around mischief-maker, for sure- but he wasn't pure, unfiltered _evil_. No, Rumplestiltskin had planted those roots of blood-lust and revenge in the Captain when he had ripped the heart from the woman he loved and crushed it to dust before his very eyes.

_But I will see him suffer as I have suffered._ Taking Belle's memories was not enough. Her heart could be won again. But this time, he would make sure the Dark One never had a chance at it. And if Belle fell for him, Rumplestiltskin could not punish her as he had Milah. Because Belle was innocent and her loyalty had never faltered. All he could do is look on, his heart breaking.

_Though he will still try to kill me..._

**STORYBROOKE GENERAL HOSPITAL 9:00 AM**

Belle hadn't slept a wink. She had spent the entire night pouring over the volume that Hook had brought her, filling the empty spaces of her mind with colorful characters and intricate stories. She felt like she could relate more to all of them than she could to the people who came in and out of the hospital to visit her.

She had just begun the final chapter of the final tale, _Rapunzel, _when Mr. Gold knocked gently on the open door of her room. Belle had been so lost within the pages that she jumped at the sound.

"Morning, Belle. I told you I would be back."

Belle gave a small obligatory smile, stowing the book away beneath the blanket beside her. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate Mr. Gold or his presence, it was only the difficulty of pulling herself away from the story.

"Mr. Gold... I didn't see you there." She said gently.

Gold cocked his head to one side. "What's that you've got , Dearie?" he asked, brow furrowed.

Belle placed her hand over the blanket where her book was hidden.

"Oh- it's... it's just a bit of light reading, really..."

Gold noticed that she did not meet his eyes when she spoke to him.

"A book is it? Well then, let's have a look shall we?"

Gold walked toward the bed, his cane clicking gently and extended a hand toward her.

Belle looked like a puppy who had misbehaved. She drew the volume out slowly and handed it over to him.

" A book of Fairytales?" Gold shook his head as if he didn't understand. "Belle- where did you get this?"

Belle stared at her fumbling hands, biting her lip. "It was just, lying around I guess."

"Lying around, was it?" Gold repeated. "I've got to have a word with the doctors, Dearie. I'll return shortly."

"May I have my book back, please?" she called after him.

But Mr. Gold had taken his leave.

In the corridor, Gold caught the flash of Dr. Whale's white coat disappearing around the corner.

"Dr. Whale!"

He moved quickly to catch up. "Dr. Whale!"

Finally the Doctor heard him and turned. "Yes Mr. Gold?"

Gold held up the book he had found in Belle's possession. "Do your nurses typically provide their patients with reading materials?"

"Oh yes, Mr. Gold. All the time."

"Ah. alright then." Gold began to turn and walk away.

"It's a shame since Belle had her accident, though. If a patient requested a book to read, one of the nurses would make a trip to the library to return and pick up new books. But the library has been closed these last few days. We haven't had any books coming in for our patients."

Dr. Whale stepped a little closer, lowering his voice. "I've been meaning to talk to you about Belle's condition..."

Mr. Gold smiled, but there was a touch of venom in his voice. "I'm all ears, Doctor."

Whale seemed to think twice before continuing. "It's my professional opinion that if we try to sit Belle down and explain who she is, she is very likely to get overwhelmed and seek an escape from it all. It would be a lot for anyone to handle. You can't assume a lifestyle, friends, or family simply because others tell you that's the way things are. Relationships have to be developed. Belle will be starting back at square one from here."

Gold looked at the floor, a smile darting across his lips, but when he looked back up his eyes were cold. "So, what exactly are you suggesting, Doctor?"

Whale ran an unsteady hand through his hair. "I'm suggesting, Gold, that we let her start fresh. It would be far less traumatizing. I'm not implying that we should hide who _we_ are, how we came to be here, or anything of that nature from her, but as far as she is concerned, her identity, her relationships..."

Gold lifted a hand to cut him off. "I get the picture. Doctor. How about you let me take care of what's mine."

"Mr. Gold, she is not an object, she is a person... a person in a very delicate psychological state."

But Whale's protests were in vain. Mr. Gold had already turned on his heel to walk away. As he rounded the corner, he stopped briefly to examine the book in his hands before dropping it into a trash bin.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you all for the amazing reviews. They keep me writing! :))

**CHAPTER 3 - HOOK RETURNS  
**

**STORYBROOKE GENERAL HOSPITAL 9:30AM**

Gold returned to Belle's room in a state of agitation. He leaned heavily on the handle of his cane, eyes darting back and forth, searching for some unknown answer.

Belle watched him curiously for several moments before clearing her throat.

"Is everything alright Mr. Gold?"

He looked up then, taking her in. "No Belle, everything is not alright. But it will be. I'm not sure how, or when- but I'm going to find a way to help you. A way to… bring your memory back."

Belle looked down at her hands. "But- Mr. Gold… you're not a doctor. Are you?"

Gold might have been offended if not for her soft voice, innocent and inquiring. "Not at all, Dearie. But here in Storybrooke, we have people of many talents, including myself. Perhaps something can be done."

Unsure of what to say, Belle gave Gold a small, sad smile and thanked him for caring about her well-being.

"Oh, I care more than you know, Belle."

After this comment, Gold seemed to hesitate, and regarded her for some time until Belle blushed lightly and turned to look out of the window. She didn't look back up until he took a sudden step towards her. There was a desperation in his eyes that almost frightened her.

"Belle." He said taking her hands in his own. " Before you- well, before your accident, you and I…" here he seemed to struggle with how to continue. "We cared about each other very much."

Belle's lashed fluttered in confusion. "You mean like, we were friends? Good friends?"

Gold's head bowed for a moment, a look of pain flitting across his features.

"Friends, yes. But much more than that, really. We… we loved each other, Belle."

Belle wasn't sure how to respond to his claim.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Gold… but I can't remember anything."

"But you must try, Belle. I will do all I can to help you, but you must try!"

"Mr. Gold… you- you're hurting me." Belle cried out softly.

In his desperation, Gold hadn't realized how hard he had been squeezing her hands. He released them immediately, "I'm sorry Belle, I just- it's been so difficult…"

Gold's face suddenly contorted into a look of pure rage and with a flick of his wrist, he hurled the nearest object against the wall. The vase shattered into a thousand pieces, and all of the beautiful flowers that Ruby and her Grandmother had brought that morning lay soaked and scattered on the floor.

Gold stood, shoulders trembling, with his back to Belle. She wasn't sure what she had seen. Gold hadn't laid a hand on the vase, and yet she had watched, at a simple gesture, as it flew from the bedside table and flung itself against the wall. All she really knew, was that it frightened her.

"I'm sorry Belle. I lost control of myself." Gold apologized, still unable to face her.

"It- it's alright, Mr. Gold. You seem to be under a lot of... stress. Perhaps you should go back home. Rest some more. A few hours can't have made up for three sleepless days."

Gold half looked over his shoulder. "Yes, Belle. I believe you're right. I cannot rest until this has been corrected."

"No- no... Mr. Gold, I said you _need_ to rest. I'll be fine here, really."

While she knew little of her lean company, Belle now understood that there was a power about him she couldn't even begin to comprehend. And beneath that power, a potentially dangerous man. He had been nothing but kind, but his temper in that moment had frightened her. She wished for nothing more than to be alone with her book again.

Taking a deep breath for courage, Belle cleared her throat.

"Do- do you think that I could have my book back before you leave, Mr. Gold?"

Gold turned on her briefly. "Oh yes, your book. Well, my dear, it turns out that book actually belongs to the local library and was far overdue. I'm afraid I had to turn it over to the nurse."

Belle's face fell. "... oh."

Gold reached over to pat her knee. "You should be focusing more on remembering who you are anyway, Dearie."

"And on that note, I'm afraid it's back to work with me."

As Gold slipped from the room, the nurse arrived with Belle's breakfast. "Good morning, Ms. Belle. How are we feeling today?"

Belle smiled sadly. "Alright I suppose."

"That's lovely."

Belle's nurse was more than a little spacey, but her heart was in the right place. Her golden hair was always pulled up into intricate braids that folded in on themselves multiple times.

"Your hair must be very long." Belle commented, as she began to pick at a strawberry.

The nurse smiled as she changed the blankets. "Oh yes, it's near to touching the floor when I take it down now."

"That's amazing." Belle commented, meaning it.

She cocked her head to the side ever so slightly. "You know, you remind me of a character from a story I've just read."

The nurse continued smiling in her half distracted way. "Is that right?"

Belle nodded her head. "Yes, you remind me of a character named Rapunzel. She had long golden hair, same as you."

For a brief moment, the nurse froze in the middle of changing a pillowcase. Belle however, didn't notice. She was too busy describing the story, it heroes and it's villains.

When she had fallen silent once more, the nurse, now paying full attention, asked-

"And how did Rapunzel's story end?"

Belle's face, which had lit up during the telling, fell suddenly. "I- I don't know. I never got to finish it."

**STORYBROOKE GENERAL HOSPITAL 2:00 AM**

Once again the hustle and bustle of the hospital had come to a halt. Belle had tried to stay awake in hopes that Hook would return, but Midnight came and passed, and slowly her eyelids fluttered to a close. Her dreams were warped visions of her days there in her room, the mind having nothing else to reflect on. At some point, however, the images that danced through her head rolled into the walls of a dimly lit castle; much like the ones in her book. She wandered there for what seemed like hours, down an endless corridor. She could see a heavy oaken door at the end, but no matter how many steps she took, it never seemed to come any nearer. Still she moved onward, and she began to feel a presence following behind her. When she turned, all she could see was darkness and shadows, but she didn't need to see it; she knew it was there. Belle began to run...

And this was how Hook found her. Brow furrowed, body occasionally jolting in dreams.

He sat down gently on the edge of the bed and watched her for some time. No man could deny her beauty, of that he was certain. What he wasn't certain of, was _how _such a beauty had come to love that scaled, old crocodile, Rumplestiltskin. What did someone so kind see in something so vile? This he needed to know if he was to succeed in his revenge.

_She likes the challenge. _He mused to himself. What else could it be? She liked to take something rotten and strip away the diseased layers until she found something inside that still flourished.

Before he had shot her, Belle had told him his own heart was rotten. _I'll have to make her believe there is something inside me that can be salvaged, then.__  
_

Very slowly, he reached out to run the cool silver of his hook down Belle's cheek. Belle gasped at the touch, her eyes flying open. She looked around wildly before shooting up in bed. Surprised at the sudden movement, Hook caught her in his arms.

"Whoa there, Missy."

He could feel her heart fluttering rapidly against his own breast. It was as if she had been running for her life. Realizing herself, Belle pulled back from Hook, but he couldn't help noticing her hands clutching onto his arms like a frightened child.

"Oh- H-Hook..." Belle breathed, a flush creeping into her cheeks.

A bright sheen of sweat had collected on Belle's brow, pasting her chestnut hair to her temples.

Hook reached out with his good hand to brush some of it aside. "Nothing to fear, Love. Just a bit of a bad dream, it would seem."

Belle released his arms, looking slightly ashamed. "It was more than bad, really. Thank you for waking me, though."

She pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms tightly about herself.

"No problem, Love." Hook replied softly, regarding her a little more closely.

"Something was chasing me there. Something dark, and terrible, and I couldn't outrun it. I thought I'd never escape, until you brought me out of it."

Hook flashed his most winning smile. "Happy to be of service, M'lady." he said with a mock bow.

Belle smiled despite herself.

"There now, that's better!" Hook reached behind his back to reveal a new book. "And even better still- I've brought you something new to read."

Belle's eyes lit up and she began to reach for the volume, but Hook pulled it back to himself.

"However... I'm a little reluctant to hand it over since it would seem you didn't much like my last selection."

He then produced a second book. It was the same book he had brought the night before.

Belle looked very confused. "Where- I... I don't understand. Where did you find it?"

Hook looked slightly taken aback. "Why, in the trash bin in the hallway. I assumed you had thrown it out. A bold move."

"No, I would never! I was so very grateful that you brought it to me!"

Belle looked very confused.

"I was told that it belonged to the library and had to be returned. It was... taken- from me."

Hook sighed. "I see."

He handed both books over to her. "Do you see any stamps? Do you see anything to indicate that these come from a library."

Belle inspected the books momentarily. "No... no I don't."

Hook stood up from the bed, a wave of leathery scent flitting through the room after his coat. "That, my dear, is because they did not come from any library. In fact, the library here has been closed since your accident. Closed, because you are Storybrooke's librarian."

Belle looked at him in wonder. "Me? I'm the librarian?" It was the first information anyone had told her about herself that she could actually absorb with any amount of gratitude. She suddenly felt like there was something out there waiting for her.

Hook smiled warmly down at her. "Don't let them keep you cooped up here forever, Love. You've got new memories waiting out there, waiting to be made."

Belle returned the smile with a new air of confidence. "Yes, you're right."

The pirate leaned over to finger the cover of the newest book he had brought her. "You must promise to take special care of this volume for me, Belle. Don't let it get tossed in a bin."

Belle hugged the book to her chest. "I promise."

"Good Lass." the Captain replied, catching her chin on the side of his hook. "Till we meet again."

And with a quick wink, he was gone.

Belle looked down at the title of her newest volume and her eyes widened. "... 'HOOK'."


End file.
